Part-A: General Intelligence and Reasoning
This part checks analytical aptitude and the ability to spot and tell apart patterns, mostly through non-verbal questions. Topics include:
- Analogies
- Similarities and differences
- Spatial visualization and spatial orientation
- Visual memory
- Discrimination and observation
- Relationship concepts
- Arithmetical reasoning and figural classification
- Arithmetic number series and non-verbal series
- Coding and decoding
Part-B: General Knowledge and General Awareness
Questions test awareness of the world around the candidate, current events and the scientific side of everyday observation that any educated person should know. No specialised study of a single discipline is needed. Areas covered:
- Current events
- Everyday science and observation
- India and its neighbouring countries, especially sports, history, culture and geography
- Economic scene
- General polity and the Indian Constitution
- Scientific research
Part-C: Elementary Mathematics
- Number systems
- Computation of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, and the relationship between numbers
- Fundamental arithmetical operations
- Percentages
- Ratio and proportion
- Averages
- Interest
- Profit and loss, discount
- Mensuration
- Time and distance
- Ratio and time
- Time and work
Part-D: English/ Hindi
- Understanding of basic English or Hindi
- Basic comprehension
Physical Standards and PET
Candidates who qualify in the CBT must meet these physical standards:
- Male (General, EWS, OBC, SC): height 170 cm, chest 80-85 cm, race of 5 km in 24 minutes
- Male (ST): height 162.5 cm, chest 76-81 cm, race of 5 km in 24 minutes
- Female (General, EWS, OBC, SC): height 157 cm, race of 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes
- Female (ST): height 150 cm, race of 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes
- Ladakh region: men must run 1.6 km in 6 minutes 30 seconds and women 800 metres in 4 minutes
Preparation Pointers
- All four parts carry equal weight (20 questions and 40 marks each), so no section can be skipped without a big loss of marks.
- With 80 questions in 60 minutes, candidates have well under a minute per question, so timed practice matters.
- The written exam is followed by PET/PST, so physical preparation, especially the running event, should start alongside study.
- Check the official SSC notification for the marking scheme, including any negative marking, before the exam.